Electric-circuit making and breaking device.



J. RYAN. ELECTRIC CIRCUIT MAKING AND BREAKING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8, 1907.

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905 ,933. Patented Dec. 8, 1908.

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gmoenfoz wihwoaeo W 5y} JOHN RYAN, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

ELECTRIC-CIRCUIT MAKING AND BREAKING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 8, 1908.

Application filed June 8, 1907. Serial No. 377,895.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN RYAN, a citizen of the'United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric-Circuit Making and Breaking Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an electric circuit making and breaking device, and particularly'to that class of circuit making and breaking devices known as sign flashers and which are employed in connection with electric signs to alternately make and break a circuit to said signs.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which now follows.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is an end elevation of a circuit making and breaking mechanism constructed in accordance with the invention, Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section through said mechanism upon the line 0J00 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction indicated by the arrow,Fig. 3 is a plan view of said mechanism, and, Fig. l is a detail vertical section upon line 3 y of Fig. 2.

Like numerals designate corresponding parts in all of the figures 0f the drawing.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 5 designates a base of insulating material. Secured upon this base by screws 6, are the end members 7 of the frame, the frame being completed by a longitudinally extending block of insulating n1aterial8 which is secured to the end members 7 of the frame by screws 9.

A shaft 10 is journaled in bearings 11 of the end members 7 of the frame, carries at one end a worm wheel 12. {This worm wheel meshes with a worm pinion 13 which is fast upon a transverse shaft 14. This transverse shaft has its bearing in ears 15 of the end members 7 of the frame. A driving pulley 16 is secured upon the shaft 14 and power may be applied to this pulley from any desired source to drive the shaft 10 through the pinion 13 and worm wheel 12. A. Wheel 17 having a smooth and unbroken periphery, is fast upon the shaft 10 and turns therewith.

A plurality of hangers 18 are secured to the underside-of the insulating block 8 by bolts 19. These bolts pass through the in sulating block and have nuts 20 threaded upon their upper ends, said nuts being adapted to clamp the ends of metallic clips 21 firmly in position against metallic plates which rest upon the upper surface of the block 8. One of the leads to the sign indicated at 23, is connected to each of these clips. Pivoted in the hangers 18 are a plurality of bars 2 1. The bar at the left hand end of the mechanism (see/Fig. 3) carries a contact block 25 which rests upon and slides over the periphery of the wheel 17. The remainder of the bars are provided with clamps 26 which are adapted to clamp carbon blocks 27 in position upon the ends of said bars, said clamps being held in position upon said bars by screws 28. Bolts 29 pass through the bars 24 and through the insulating block 8 and have nuts 30 threaded upon their upper ends. Springs 31 bear between the underside of the insulating block 8 and the upper faces of the bars 21, said springs surrounding the bolts 30. Conductors 32 connect each of the bars 21 to the clips 21 except that the left hand bar in Fig. 3 has no corresponding clip 21 and consequently no conductor 32. The bar 21 at the left hand end of Fig. 3 upon the contrary, is connected by a conductor and clips 34: with a contact plate 35 to which one of the main leads of the circuit indicated at 36 is connected.

Secured upon the shaft 10 are a plurality of radial arms 37 and these arms carry at their outer ends segments 38 which are of varying length. Rotation of the shaft 10 is in the direction of the arrow (4 in Fig. 2 and the segments 38 are provided at their extreme ends with carbon blocks 39 which are held in position with relation to said segments, by clamps l0, said clamps being in turn held in position upon the radial arms 37 by screws 41.

As is clearly illustrated in Fig. 2, the carbon blocks 39 are provided with tongues 89 which are adapted to enter between the clamps l0 and the under-sides of the ments 38 to be gripped therchctween.

The downward movement of the bars "ii is limited by the heads of the bolts 21 the heads of these bolts supporting the bars in such position that the segments 38 may readily ride thereunder.

The operation of the device is asjfollows: The loads 23 are connected to any letter. lamp or combination of lamps in the sign. The circuit is completed through this circuit breaker from the leads 23 to the bars 24: ex cept the left hand bar 24 in Fig. 3 through the segments 38 and arms 37 to the shaft 10, through said shaft to the wheel 17, contact block 25, arm 24- to which said contact block is connected, conductor 33 and plate 35 to the main lead 36.

During the major portion of the time that the circuit is completed to any givenlight or letter, the circuit is a metallic one as indicated at 14 in Fig. 2, but as the end of each of the segments 38 passes from under the corresponding arm 24, the carbon blocks 39 ride under the carbon blocks 27 so that only the carbon completes the circuit at the conclusion of the period during which the circuit is completed. Consequently when the carbon block 39 slips past the carbon block 27 to break the circuit, the excessive flashing Which would result if a metallic circuit were broken in this manner, is prevented.

I am aware of the fact that circuit breakers have been employed which areprovided with revolving members, but I believe I am the first to "employ the carbon blocks 39 and 27 in the manner set forth, whereby a wiping;1 break between the two carbon blocks is From the foregoing description, it will be seen that simple and eflicient means are here in provided for accomplishing the objects of the invention, but while the elements shown and described are well adapted to serve the purposes for which they are intended, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construc-- to which said arms are pivoted, headed members carried by said insulating block and passing through said arms and springs encircling said headed members and bearing between said arms and said block.

In testimony whereof I affixmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN RYAN; Y

Witnesses:

FRANK G. CAMPBELL, L. CARL SToUeH'roN. 

